Clothesline support



Dec. 29, 1953 A. o. LINDSTROM 2,664,211

CLOTHESLINE SUPPORT I Filed Dec. 8, 1951 IN VEN TOR.

H T TORNE Y Patented Dec. 29, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTHESLINE SUPPORT Arnold 0. Lindstrom, Republic, Wash. Application December 8, 1951, Serial No. 260,626

4 Claims. 1 t

This invention relates to supports and more particularly to a clothes line support.

The invention consists of improved supporting posts having cross bars at their upper ends between which a clothes line is strung back and forth and one object of the invention is to provide posts which have upper sections shiftable vertically in lower sections so that clothes may be hung upon the line and the upper post sections then raised to such a position that the clothes will be supported at such a height above the ground that they will be prevented from being soiled by contact with the ground.

Another object of the invention is to provide posts, one of which has a cross bar at its upper end which is rotatably mounted and thus allow clothes lines connected with it to be wound about it and tightened after the upper sections of the posts have been shifted upwardly to a raised position.

Another object of the invention is to provide the lower section of a pole with an upwardly projecting bar having a rack at its upper end, the cross head or bar which is rotatably mounted at the upper end of the upper section of the post being provided with a pinion which meshes with teeth of the rack and thus causes the cross bar to be turned and clothes lines tightened as the upper section approaches a fully raised position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved rack and pinion structure for shifting the upper section of a post to a raised position and holding the upper'section raised.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:. p

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing posts of the improved construction raised and tightened lines extending between the posts.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view upon an enlarged scale showing the improved post partially in vertical section and partially in elevation.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

The posts shown in Figure 1 and indicated in general by the numerals l and 2 are spaced from each other a desired distance and each has a lower section 3 and an upper section 4, the lower section being embedded in concrete 5 so that the posts will be firmly supported upright and prevented from being damaged by rust or the like which occurs when metal pipe is embedded directly in the ground. The tubular lower section may be of any desired height and diameter and is formed along its inner side portion with a vertically extending slot 6 and in its outer side portion with a short slot 1 directly opposite the long inner slot.

The upper section 4 is also formed of metal pipe or tubing and is of such diameter that it fits snugly in the companion lower section and may be readily slid upwardly through the lower section to a raised position. A pin or lug 8 projects laterally from the lower portion of the upper section and passes through the long slot 6 and serves as a guide to prevent the upper section from turning in the lower section. At its other side from the lug I the inner section is cut transversely to form slots 9 which are disposed one above another in spaced relation to each other and form between them rack teeth II) which extend in crossing relation to the .short slot 1 and move along this slot when the upper section is shifted vertically, zontally from the lower post section at opposite sides of the slot 1 and rotatably support a shaft I2 upon which is fixedly mounted a pinion or sprocket wheel-ll3 located between the brackets and having teeth I 4 of such length that they move through the slot or opening 1 when the shaft is turned by its crank l5 and engage the rack teeth In to raise the upper sectionwhen the shaft is turned in one direction and lower it when the shaft is'turned in an opposite direction. A pawl or dog l6 pivoted to one bracket and engaging a ratchet l1- mounted upon the shaft l2 at the opposite end thereof from the crank handle prevents turning of the shaft in alowering direction after the upper post section has been raised until the dog is swung upwardly out of engagement with the ratchet wheel.

A cross bar I! is mounted across the top of the upper section 01' post I and a similar cross bar I 9 extends across the upper end of the upper section of post 2 but is rotatably mounted in bearing brackets 20 carried by and projecting upwardly from a cap 2| mounted upon the upper end of the upper post section. The cross bar l9 carries a pinion 22 which is located between the bearing brackets and is of such size that when the upper post section is shifted upwardly and approaches the upper limit of its vertical movement the pinion will mesh with a rack 23 formed along the confronting inner side portion of the upper end of a bar 24 .and thus cause the cross bar I!) to be rotated and the clothes lines 25 which extend be- Brackets II project horitween the cross bars tightened. The bar 24 extends vertically above the upper section of post 2 and at its lower end is formed with a foot 26 which is disposed flat against the upper end portion of the lower post section and formed with a vertical slot 21 to receive a screw 28 by means of which it is secured to the post section. The slot is provided so that the bar may be shifted along the post section to a position in which teeth of the rack 23 will accurately mesh'with the teeth of pinion 22 and cause the bar 19 to be turned and the clothes lines tightened as the upper post section is moved upwardly to its raised position. The clothes lines 25 are formed by a single length of rope or flexible wire which is secured at one end to the cross bar of one post and then passed back and forth between the two cross. heads with portions passing through aligned openings in the cross head and along the cross heads between the openings therein, as shown at 25'. The final end of the rope or wire is tied to or otherwise secured to an end portion of a cross head.

When the improved clothes lineis in use clothes are pinned to the lines25 with the upper post sections in a lowered position. The upper sectionof post I is then shifted upwardly to a raised position where it is held by action of the dog 15 engaged with the pinion I! of 2. raising mechanism. The upper section of the post 2 is then shifted upwardly and as it approaches the limit of its upward movement the gear 22 meshes with the rack 23 and the cross bar [9 will be turned to wind the lines 25 about it and thus tighten the lines. Upward movement of the upper post section will be stopped as soon as the lines are sufficiently tightened, and if necessary the cross bar 19 may be turned torpartially wind the lines upon it before the upper post section is raised.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A clothes line'support comprising a ,post having a lower section and an upper section movable vertically from aloweredposition toa raised position, means for shifting the upper section upwardly and securing the same inva selected raised position, cross bars mounted across upper ends of the upper sections, the cross bar of one upper section being rotatably mounted and carrying a gear, a line extending between thecross bars, and a rack bar extending upwardly from said lower section engaging the gear and turning the rotatable cross bar in a direction totighten the line during raising of the upper section carrying the rotatable cross bar.

2. Clothes lines comprising a pair of posts each having 7 a lower section and an upper section slidable vertically therein, means for shifting the upper section of each post from a lowered position to a raised position and holding the upper section raised, a cross bar carried by the upper end of the upper section of one post, a cap at the upper end of the upper section of the other post, upstanding bearings spaced from each other diametrically of said cap, a cross bar rotatably mounted through said bearings and between the bearings carrying a gear, an arm carried by and extending upwardly from the upper end of the lower section of the said post, and a rack along the upper end portion of said armengaged by the gear during upward movement of the upper section to turn the rotatable cross bar and tighten lines strung between the cross bars of the posts.

3. A clothes line support comprising a post having 'a lower section and an upper section slidable vertically from a lowered position to a raised position, means for shifting the upper secvtionupwardly and securing the same in a raised position, a cap for the upper end of said upper section carrying upstanding bearings spaced the inner side portion of the upper end of said arm engaged by said pinion during raising of the lower section and serving to rotate the cross bar to tighten the clothes line as the said upper section approaches its fully raised position.

4. A clothes line support comprising a post having a lower section and an upper section slidable vertically from a lowered position to a raised position, a cross bar mounted across the upper end of said upper section, a pinion carried by said cross bar, and a rack bar carried by and extending vertically above the upper end of the lower section and engagedby the pinion to rotate the cross bar and tighten a clothes line about the cross bar during upward movement of the upper section.

ARNOLD O. LINDSTROM.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED'STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 7 388,478 Cox Aug. 28, 1888 409,840 Hennig Aug. 27, 1889 670,947 Briggs Apr. 2, 1901 820,815 McManus May 15, 1906 985,485 Willard Feb. 28, 1911 992,842 Benningfield May 23, 1911 1,130,033 Soldier ,Mar. 2, 1915 1,252,240 Clawson, Jan. 1, 1918 1,435,059 Franzen ,Nov. '7, 1922 1,822,907 Ruchie Sept. 15, 1931 

